Meerkat ferns!

Spring in all its glory

I love spring! The freshness of new growth. The new bright colours of emerging plants and the notice me greens of new shoots. It is the season of hope for plants and animals. New life. New beginnings. The fields come alive with the joviality of spring lambs. The skies are frantic with birds trying to tempt a mate, calling, dancing and parading, with full beaks of foraged materials for nest building. I love to hear the first buzz of a bumble bee as it takes flight after its long winter sleep. I plant seeds (too many) saved from last years’ flowers, hoping that they will grow…they always do, and then I feel guilty if I can’t grow all of them on, and squeeze them somewhere into a crowded patch of soil.

I have a few ferns that uncurl slowly as the days get warmer, cautious to reveal too much of themselves in case of a night time frost bite.

However, nothing as fabulous as the ferns in Ray Wood. What a feast for the eyes. My immediate thoughts were of meerkats, tentatively watching the forest. But, unlike Meerkats they couldn’t refurl and retreat should the weather turn cold.

I hope you agree that these ferns are majestic and definitely remind you of meerkats, be it amazing zingy green ones!

Now to try and paint them. A challenge indeed.